Perfection Burns
by CheveronChick
Summary: Seeking shelter from a storm, the fellowship takes advantage of a nearby heated spring - and are stunned to find to find that their elven companion is not as 'perfect' as they all thought and expect him to be. Early Fellowship.


**Very loosely related to "Burns of war"**

 **But you don't need to read that to understand this one.**

 **Thanks for coming!**

 **000...000**

Legolas grabbed a firmer hold on Sam as the gardener slipped for the sixth time, "Come, this way a little bit farther. We are nearly there."

Aragorn kept a tight hold on Pippins' shoulders to help the smaller being struggle up the muddy, steep, hillside. He glanced back to ensure Boromir and Gandalf still had similar holds on their respective charges; Merry and Frodo.

The rain continued to pour ice water over their heads, leaving all the mortals shivering violently. Lucky for the Fellowship the tree's around them knew of a cave that had a heated spring within it, and even luckier they had a wood elf that could charm the secrets out of tree's like a knight in a tavern could with women.

Finally, they crested the hill and Legolas crowded them all under a particularly bushy tree to shield them from the frozen onslaught, "Stay here, I will return shortly. I am going to ensure the cave has remained empty in the time it took me to return and retrieve you all."

Aragorn made to follow him, "Let me come with you, just in case."

Legolas laughed, the only one who would have the gall to laugh on a day like this, "You plan to assist me with your arm trembling with cold? In the dark? Stay here and guard the others, silly man."

Gimli grumbled something to Gandalf, probably taking offense to the comment on Aragorn's behalf. But Aragorn himself took no offense, Legolas almost never meant things in a snide manner, and if he did, you would be very much aware of it.

And so he smiled with chattering teeth and returned to the shelter of the tree, "You have point, be swift and safe then."

Legolas flashed another smile, "Have you ever known me to be anything but?"

Both he and Gandalf dared to call a somewhat hushed, "Yes!" after their friend's retreating back.

Thankfully today it seemed Legolas was indeed both swift, and safe. Within two minutes he had returned to lead them all to the cave entrance, which was concealed spectacularly in a crevice in the earth and behind a shrub.

In order to fit they all had to crawl in backward and dangle their legs over the edge and drop down into the dark with the only assurance of Legolas that the ground was not far and the cave was empty.

Aragorn went second.

The trapped warmth was absolutely delightful before his feet even hit the ground, and his numb limps soaked it up with pins and needles. Legolas set to lighting a fire so his mortal friends would have a source of light, cursing when he lit it.

"You could have let me do that." Aragorn chided, there were a few downsides to Elven sight. One of them being a sudden light in the dark could be literally painful, as their eyes would be so accustomed to such little light.

Legolas blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted, "You had an armful of hobbit." The hobbits who were literally sighing in relief at the warmth. "It is done now, so there is no point arguing with me. Out of those wet clothes now, before you catch something unpleasant."

"Well I am already on this quest with you, so I've already caught it." Even as he said the words, Aragorn began to remove his many layers of soaked clothes.

"Bold words from a man you used to literally beg me to spend time with him when I visited."

"I have absolutely no recollection of it." He pulled his shirts over his head, "Who are you again?"

"A disease, apparently."

"You look like one."

"At least I do not smell like one."

"Are you suggesting I smell?"

"Was I not clear enough? Yes, you smell. Please bathe. My nose is begging you." Legolas snatched Aragorn's pack as the human removed the last of his clothes, he removed a bar of soap and threw it at him.

It smacked Aragorn in the chest solidly, his nimble and still half numbed hands managed to catch it before he fell to the ground and he tossed it back at Legolas. Who, obviously, threw it back harder.

"Children," Gandalf warned half-heartily from where he seemed to be ensuring the hobbits didn't drown Boromir in the warm water. Legolas did not heed his warning.

Pippin, very much recognizing the look in Legolas' eye called, "Do it!" from the water he still swam in, even though Boromir was standing with no problem. That was all the encouragement the elf needed, and before Aragorn could react he had grabbed him firmly by both shoulders and tossed him into the water with the rest of the mortals.

"You are as bad as the hobbits, Thranduilion." Gandalf scolded, even more, half-heartedly thank before.

"And when you shoved me off that cliff a however many ago?" Legolas asked, smiling as both hobbits briefly abandoned their drowning attempts on Boromir in favor of the Ranger.

"Oh, you were fine. There was a snow pile deep enough to bury your three times over."

Then before the elf could reply, Aragorn called, "Legolas, are you bleeding?"

The hobbits stilled, Pippin dangling off of Aragorn's back and Merry securely attached to his middle, and turned to look as well. "Looks like blood to me," Pippin confirmed.

"Am I? Where?" Without waiting for a reply he turned his head to look over his left shoulder where a red line was starting to seep into his clothes on his back. "Oh. I am."

Aragorn waved the hobbits off of him and the obediently abandoned their swimming aide and leaned on the edge of the pool instead. "Here, let me stitch it."

"I am an elf. The wound is small and will heal swiftly there is no need."

"But it will leave scare if we leave it."

Legolas gasped, "Oh no, not a scar."

Aragorn could feel Gimli rolling his eyes even if he could not see him, "Trust an elf to worry about a something so vain as a scar during a war, and I had been told you were a warrior. Of what, the practice field?"

But Aragorn knew that tone of voice, even if the dwarf did not recognize it. Legolas was making a joke, his voice was dripping with sarcasm like a sodden sponge. If that wasn't enough proof, Gandalf snorting a laugh into his beard at the Legolas' words was.

They both ignored Gimli.

"Then at least make me check there is no poison in the wound."

Legolas blinked at him, "There is not. I would have felt it if there were."

"Legolas-"

"But if it will make you feel better, Estel, then fine."

With one swift and easy move he took his shirt off and flung it in the general direction of the fireplace. One of the hobbits - probably Sam - gasped at the sight. Even Aragorn had to struggle to force his eyes back to normal size.

He had never seen Legolas without clothes before, and until the moment he didn't even realize that. Part of him could not help but wonder if that was just a or done on purpose.

Legolas did not seem very shy about it.

"What happened?" Pippin asked, followed by a smacking sound; which Aragorn assumed was Frodo hitting his cousin for asking such a forward question about something that was obviously unpleasant.

Where they had all expected there to be perfect elven flesh; there was a nasty maze of burn scars covering his stomach, most of his chest, and his left shoulder.

Aragorn was dizzy with the thought of how hot fire would have to be to scar an elven body like that.

As if that wasn't enough, there seemed to be scars on tops of that one from what he assumed was various other wounds; one was certainly an arrow, another on his arm was a warg bite, yet another on his stomach had the distinct pattern of flesh rotted from venom. A long, thick line snaked up from where his pants cut off the view from his hips, and he couldn't even hazard a guess what that could possibly be from. And still, there were others.

And they could not even see his back.

"Which one, little friend, were you referring to?" Legolas asked, "The burns?"

The hobbit nodded hesitantly.

"It was a while ago, but my patrol and I were in the forest ended up trapped in a fire set by the enemy. They had oils that they spread on the forest floor that made it burn so hot it was unnatural, and not even water seemed able to put it out. It was an accident."

"I am so sorry, Legolas." Frodo breathed. The elf shrugged.

"What he does not mention is that moved an underling out the way of a falling, burning tree, and got willingly strapped beneath it in his place," Gandalf added, giving Legolas a look Aragorn had no hope of understanding the meaning behind.

Immortal beings were tricky that way. .

Legolas tossed blond hair behind his back with an extreme flourish, "Eru made me too perfect, and how to correct it somehow."

"Trapped?" Pippin squeaked.

"Unfortunately. I am told the rest of my patrol somehow managed to pull it off of me. That is also, regrettably, not my first unpleasant encounter with fire." He cleared his throat, "I am not the biggest fan of it any longer. Though, it appears to _love_ me. I might be flattered, but I'm not."

"One could not blame you." Boromir assured him, "How-" He paused, unsure if he was overstepping his bounds but Legolas nodded encouragingly, "How did you get most of the others?"

"I was still too perfect, even after the fire. Eru kept trying to correct his mistake, but alas, he failed."

Gandalf, apparently deeming that answer unworthy offered one of his own, "You are not the only one who was raised with evil breathing on your doorstep, Boromir of Gondor. Legolas has been at war at least three times longer than any of you mortals have been alive."

Even Gimli seemed pale with the thought.

Now, the elf seemed to be growing uncomfortable under their collective and unwavering gazes and he shifted. "Feel no pity for me; I have none for myself. It does not change anything that has already happened, and will not affect anything to come. Life goes on. Mandos still hasn't come for me yet, so I'm still winning."

Aragorn struggled not to grimace again at the thought of how gruesome the burns had to have been; Thranduil probably did not sleep for a month after Legolas returned to him like that. He wasn't sure which one his heart broke for more.

Boromir, understanding that the time for sharing had come and gone began to rouse the hobbits again to take their attention away and back on to himself. Gimli even helped by engaging Sam in a conversation.

Legolas looked relieved to no longer be in the spotlight.

Aragorn pulled himself full out of the water, warping a cloak around himself to keep from shivering at the change of temperature from the very warm water to the cooler but still warm cavern. Silently he went to his back to get a needle and thread, more determined than ever to not allow the wound to scar.

"We'll end this war, Legolas. We will." Mithrandir promised, quite enough that Aragorn knew it was only meant for elven ears.

Legolas didn't say anything.

 **000….0000**

 **If you want to read the story of Legolas getting his burns, that what "Burns of war." is!**

 **Please remember to leave a review!**


End file.
